By Zack Spencer, Vancouver Sun

Originally published: January 21, 2011

SMALL

MEDIUM

LARGE

It looks like 2011 is the year of the minivan with almost all of the main players receiving major updates.

The bestselling vans are the Dodge Grand Caravan, Chrysler Town and Country, which receive exterior tweaks and major interior modifications. They are not just the most popular vans, they are also the third bestselling vehicles in the country and, for 2011, they also get a new engine and transmission.

Toyota recently released its all-new Sienna van with a choice of four-cylinder, V6 and even all-wheel drive. Nissan is even back in the picture with a stylish Quest and the Kia has re-styled the Sedona van. With all this competition, Honda set out to establish itself at the top of the van market by having an "aspiration purchase." That’s a van one might want to own, rather than buy as a begrudging purchase for pragmatic reasons.

The Skin

Styling is so subjective but there are a few things worth pointing out on the Odyssey. The front features a very cohesive looking front grille that sweeps into the front lights. This line carries across the front fenders with very good effect, in fact the Odyssey has an almost sedan front end. It’s the middle and back of this new van that will take some time to adjust to. The "lightning-bolt" design behind the rear sliding doors is meant to differentiate the Odyssey, making it less boxy. It certainly looks unique and provides a bigger side window for third row passengers but the rail that the sliding doors sits on is now accented, making the side look unfinished. Other manufacturers have done a better job of hiding this rail (Toyota Sienna and Dodge Grand Caravan), where Honda highlights it. The aim was to make this shorter and wider and more dramatic compared to the older unit, helping it stand out. For better or worse it certainly does stand out.

The Cockpit

With every new minivan introduction, each manufacturer has a new twist on the tried and true. Honda pioneered the flat folding third-row seat on the original Odyssey and it has been improved. With just the flick of a wrist, the third row seats fold into the floor in one fluid motion. The second row, of heavily bolstered seats, slide easily forward to allow access to the third row. Up front, the Odyssey has been cleaned up. This new interior sports a cleaner, easier to understand layout rather than the former patchwork of overly cluttered buttons. Honda is now relying on the same radio/navigation unit that has made its other products too complex, which is a shame. The fit and finish is first rate. I would easily place it at the top of the minivan pack.

The Ride

Power and handling are not key deciding factors for most minivan buyers, rather buyer’s are looking at practicality. But having a road-capable van has been the target for all the recent minivan introductions; the Sienna even has a sport model.

The Good, The Bad

Good:

The rear entertainment screen on the Touring model stretches 411mm (16.2 inches) across. The Odyssey is more of a carry over in terms of power and performance from last year. The 3.5L V6 engine pumps out 248 h.p. compared to the Grand Caravans 290 h.p. and the Sienna’s 266hp.

Bad:

Base 5-speed automatic, no Bluetooth or power sliding side doors on base model (though some people like manual sliding doors). Odyssey is offered with a five-speed automatic on all but the top model, which gets a six-speed. Why the six-speed isn’t across the entire line is puzzling. What has been improved is better airflow over the new exterior styling for better fuel efficiency and lower noise.

Verdict

The Honda Odyssey van is a niche vehicle compared to the high-volume sales of the Dodge Grand Caravan. The Odyssey is a van that minivan owners aspire to own, where the Dodge product is a sensible buy. With a starting price of $29,990 and fully loaded model topping out at $46,990, the Odyssey is perfect for upwardly mobile middle-class families.

I’m always surprised by how much people are willing to spend on a minivan, when at the end of the day it is really a box on wheels for moving people about. I’ll take a fun hatchback and a simple minivan for the price of a loaded Odyssey. I’m sure that the people who were always attracted to the upscale approach of the Odyssey will be delighted that it is more capable and refined than ever before.